The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-06-03
The Theme of Sunday After
Moons Discourse,
BY ELDER JOHN NICHOLSON.
By Revelation the Truths of the
Everlasting Gospel Have been
Made Plain to Gods Children.

Praise We the Lord my heart shall join.
Prayer by Elder William Willes.
Singing of the hymn beginning,
Glorious things are sung of Zion.
ELDER JOHN NICHOLSON responded to
the call upon him made by President
Cannon. He felt his individual INSULT
cheney, and asked for the faith and
prayers of the congregation. There
was one subject which he considered
all-important to all mankind, and that
was the great boon and blessing which
might properly be termed the pearl OF
great price-reVelation. Revelation in
the present day is repudisted. What
glorious thing it would be if the people
had divine direction at the present time.
One of the olden prophets said. Where
there is no vision there is no ilfe." One
of the principles believed in by the Lat.
ter-day Saints was continued reve-
lation. This was one of their chief
characteristics, and it was through this
channel that the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints had been organized
with its officers and blessings and
powers The reasoning powers of man
are limited, and the Office and function
of revelation is to take up the thread of
life where reason leaves it and carry
the individuals mind into the other
world. When revelation demonstrates
truth in all its purity and potency, it.
harmonizeS with reason and shows
glorious unanimity. The spirit of man,
according to revelation, is separate
from the body; man Is a dual being,
there is no comparison between the age
of the spirit and that of the body. The
existence of spirits of mortals had
probably antedated the creation of the
world. Jesus is called the first born,
1.-THE Lamb slain from before the
foundation of the world" 1t was given
out by Joseph Smith that the spirit and
body were the soul of man, and his
knowledge was obtained through reVela-
ton. What has been revealed shows
the magnitude of the plan of salvation.
the different glories of the celestial
world spoken OF by the Apostle Paul
were mentioned and the attention of
the congregation directed to the fact
that there were different grades of glory
in the next world; also the place of
punishment provided for those con-
demned The prophet Joseph Smith ex-
plains these two conditions in the other
world. The glory of the sun was the
glory of the celestial world. and those
who attain to it were those who
obeyed every law, and especially the
law upon which that glory was pre-
dictated. He declared that the other
world was opened to him, and he be-
held the nature and condition of the
dead, and it was made known to him
that those who attained to the highest
degree of glory are those who conformed
to the image of Our Lord and Savior;
who went down into the waters of
baptism, had hands laid upon them for
the reception of the gift of the Holy
Ghost. From that starting point and
through life, through evil and good re-
port, maintaining faithfulness and
purity, was he who was so rewarded.
The glory of the moon was described
as being that attained by those who
had followed errors; the lower glories
belonged to those who had used their
talents and energies for evil instead of
for good. The part of perdition was
for those who had committed the IN
pardonable sin, those who had denied
the faith, and shed innocent blood.
These facts had been revealed to Joseph
Smith. There was q question of what
was to become of those who had not
had chance to obey the gospel as the
Saints had heard it and believed in
practicing. The teachings of the gospel
were not confined to the present pro-
baton; they embraced the life in the
next world, and provision was made for
those who had died without a knoWl-
edge of the gospel.
Elder Nicholson reviewed. in a clear
and concise manner, the course of those
who had obeyed the gospel, and the
suffering they had undergone for its
sake, and said it had been wondered at
why God permitted such actions with
His children. Free agency was given
to mankind, and acting on that men
were subject to be operated upon by
certain influences. As it is in this life,
so, he presumed, it would be in the
next. Christ came and performed His
mission. When He was crucified His
spirit still lived; He continued in the
line of His duty and fulfilled His
Fathers will, and went to preach to the
spirits in prison, and proclaimed him
self the crucifed Redeemer, in order
that what had been predicted concern
ing the resurrection of the dead might
be brought about. The ordinances to
be performed for those in the other
world must be attended to in this life
The query arose: "Cen the performing
OF these ceremonies by those in
this life be recognized as cor
rect?" If possible in one thing,
why not in another? Some in PauI's
day had doubts of the resurrection, for
they said: If there be no resurrection,
then let US eat, drink and be merry. for
tomorrow We die" And again, Elise
why are We baptized for the dead2" was
asked in this connection. The prin-
ciple was lucidly explained, and its
operation clearly defined. The turning
Of the hearts of the children to the
fathers and those of the fathers to the
children was in this wise to be brought
about, as spoken of by the ancient
prophets. The keys and powers were
bestowed upon Joseph Smith in this
regard. The temples being erected by
the Latter day Saints were for these
services for the dead. These ordin-
ances reflected the extent of the beliefs
to practices of the Latter-day Saints.
They extended int eternity, and were
not circumscribed; they embraced
everything holy and pure and good.
There were certain members of the